Asura's Wrath is not like any game you will ever have played before. This is, self-evidently, an excellent thing – and a rare one, if you've been playing games for a long time. It is an attempt at a new kind of interactive entertainment, one much closer to living, breathing anime than traditional action game. It delivers a story that's up there with the best gaming has to offer in terms of visual spectacle, but in doing so, it stays very close to the conventions of film, and rather shies away from actually being a game.

The game's story spans 12,000 years and follows the story of Asura – a demi-god betrayed by his fellow gods and thrown out of heaven. He loses his wife and daughter to a power-plot dreamed up by the other deities, and finds himself resurrected centuries later through the sheer force of his anger. As he comes back to life and sees what a mess of the world his former comrades have made, his rage gets stronger and stronger, leading to some incredible scenes of over-the-top, fantastical violence. You'll see some astonishing things: the Earth exploding into a gigantic laser-shooting maw, a sword so long it can cleave the Moon in two, and Asura regularly punching people so hard that they literally go into orbit.

It is best described as an interactive anime box-set. The game is split into 18 episodes (with a secret unlockable one at the end) of about 20 minutes each, each one book-ended by gorgeously illustrated bumpers and adorned with credits just like a real television show. There's even a narrated preview before each one that hints at what's about to happen. Each of these episodes features completely different gameplay, dependent on the scenario.

So in one episode, you might be headbutting a giant turtle to death, where in the next you're shooting giant squid in space in an on-rails shooter scenario. Next, you may be engaged in an epic Dragonball Z-style one-on-one confrontation on the moon. In one episode, the objective is to stop Asura from staring for too long at the generous assets of a hot-springs attendant. I'm not making that up, that really is a level.

Closing Comments

I can’t help but love Asura’s Wrath for having the bravery to try something completely new. It sets out to be a new kind of interactive animation, and it succeeds completely at that. But a game this light on actual content is difficult to justify as a full-price release; it’s style over substance, and some players will feel cheated by the paucity of actual gameplay in amongst the six hours of brilliant spectacle. You should absolutely play Asura’s Wrath, because it’s an experience like no other, but be aware of what it is before you put down your cash.

IGN Ratings for Asura's Wrath (PS3)

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1218975p1.html

I won't be buying this game as I too can not justify spending $60 on it, but I will definitely be giving it a rental and checking it out since it sounds so awesome.

For the rest of the review just follow the link.

Wow if they made it longer and added more gameplay it seems like it could have been something really nice. But ill wait till its like 20 dollars 6 hours is too short.

Agree 6 hours is just too short to justify a $60 purchase. I'll also wait til it becomes cheaper.

The should call this one Heavy Pain

As a massive lover of all things anime, particularly ridiculously ott violence, I am eagerly awaiting this. And to all those who will inevitably compare this with bayonetta et al, stop it! Stop it right now!

Yo, Tuesday! Hurry the fuck up!

Good to know it's a good game, but sad that it's a crap offer.